happy-birthday-elvis-presley-5-facts-about-music-legends-home-graceland

Happy Birthday Elvis Presley: 5 Facts About Music Legend’s Home, Graceland

Elvis Presley would have been 86 years old on Friday. He rose from the poor side of Tupelo, Miss., to be “The King” and live in Memphis, Tenn.

Graceland, which is the name of Presley’s home in Memphis, is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the United States. It’s where Presley lived a rather wild life. It also is the place where he died on Aug. 16, 1977.

People go through numerous rooms at Graceland, seeing the different designs and styles Presley had within the gated home.

Let’s take a look at five crazy facts about Elvis Presley and his home, Graceland:

1. Elvis Presley Built Large Barn On The Premises

A large stable of horses was available for Presley. In order to make sure they had a proper place to stay, a large barn was built for them.

The barn kept the horses safe. Sometimes, those horses had to deal with Presley’s pet chimpanzee Scatter.

While Presley liked pulling pranks while driving in Memphis with Scatter, the chimp’s behavior ultimately became too erratic. A climate-controlled room was built just for Scatter to live.

2. Billiards Anyone? ‘The King’ Had His Private Room

Of course, making music and performing were at the core of Elvis Presley and his lifestyle.

He liked to spend time relaxing at Graceland when not working. One of those ways was by playing billiards by himself or with one of the guys who hung around him all the time.

Presley borrowed the décor for his basement game room from a painting of an 18th-century billiards room. Designer Bill Eubanks purchased 350 yards of 100 percent cotton fabric from a local custom furniture store.

After doing so, the room with a billiards table was ready for use.

3. Three TV Sets For Elvis Presley, Please

It’s hard to believe for people used to 80-plus cable or satellite TV packages to realize there were just three networks a long time ago.

Elvis Presley had three televisions set up in a room, tuned in to ABC, CBS, and NBC respectively. Now this set-up isn’t too extraordinary as President Lyndon Johnson had a similar set-up at The White House. Johnson did it to keep up with each network’s newscasts.

For Presley, it was all about entertainment and having fun in his own TV room.

4. Before Tiki Torches, ‘King’ Had Tiki Furniture In Home

Elvis Presley decided to build a den just off the kitchen in Graceland. It was a room where he filled it up with Tiki furniture to give it a certain vibe.

While most people who visit Graceland call it “The Jungle Room,” Presley never used this moniker at all.

That room ultimately was transformed into a recording studio where Presley set down tracks for his “Live From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee” album.

5. No One Gets Access To Second Floor Private Living Area

Now many people have tried over the years to enter the second-floor living quarters for Elvis Presley when he was alive.

But that’s been a no-go for everyone, with one exception. This area is considered sacred and mystical because it’s where Presley’s body was found in the bathroom on that ill-fated day when he died. People have thought about this area, wondering if it remains just like he had it before dying.

So many people have made requests to see it and been turned away.

Oh, the one exception? That was actor Nicolas Gage, who is a known fan of Elvis and got a chance to see the space when married to Lisa Marie Presley in the early 2000s.

Are there more unique things about Graceland? Yes. Today, though, here are five as fans all over the world remember Presley for his voice, looks, and style.